


Reveal (s)

by steelorchids



Series: Unseen scenes from Daredevil Season 3 [1]
Category: Daredevil (TV), Karedevil - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Before The Defenders, F/M, I need a "What I wish had happened" version of this, If only these two stubborn idiots communicated better with each other, Post Season 2, obviously, sighs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-07 03:03:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18401789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/steelorchids/pseuds/steelorchids
Summary: Continuation of the "I'm Daredevil" reveal scene. This technically falls on Season 2, but we saw a lot of it in the flashback on Season 3 so I included it in this series.





	Reveal (s)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [irelandhoneybee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/irelandhoneybee/gifts).



> For my dear @irelandhoneybee who LOVES the moment when Matt holds Karen's hand in the flashback, and also pointed out how the song "The Scientist" by Coldplay goes so perfectly with the reveal moment that is almost spooky. I hope you enjoy :)

_Come up to meet you_  
_Tell you I'm sorry_  
_You don't know how lovely you are_  
_I had to find you_  
_Tell you I need you_  
_Tell you I set you apart_

****

**Part 1**

****

Karen was speechless.

This was not possible. It didn't make any sense. It couldn't be. He was blind… Wasn't he? All the cuts and bruises. The so-called accidents. The dodgy excuses. His disappearances. All those times he didn't answer her calls.

It was all a lie.

When she was rescued along with those hostages. Also that night at her apartment. Of course, it was him. Who else could it be? No one knew she was going there.

He caught Fisk. He caught Frank. None of it made sense, but at the same time, it made all the sense in the world.

She didn't know what to say. This answered a million questions, but she was more confused than ever.

She didn't know how to feel either. Angry, maybe? When she finally knew who was the man who had saved her life more than once? Disappointed? Sad? Scared? For him? For them? Guilty? 

Guiltier than ever. 

Matt was Daredevil. Fighting for justice day and night. What would he think of her if he knew the things she had done?

“I know it's hard to assimilate…”

He didn't know what to say to ease the tension, if that was even possible, but he was there, he had to try. And she, more than anyone, deserved the truth. He had to be brave and be completely honest, even if that meant losing her forever.

She was still in shock. Her eyes were staring at the mask in his hands. Her body was shaking and her knees were weak.

“Foggy” she said with a broken voice. “He knows” and immediately looked at him again.

She had been lied to over and over and over and over again by her two friends. How could she have been so stupid? She felt terribly betrayed.

Matt sighed and nodded.

“He does.”

“You made him lie for you. This is why he's been so angry at you. How…?”

Words fell short. She had too many things in her head. This was indeed too much to assimilate. It was suffocating. She needed to go out.

Where was the man she thought she knew? The man who believed she was innocent and promised to keep her safe. The one who offered his apartment that night when she was terrified. The man who used the law to help make the city a better place. And also the one who made her laugh and charmed her with his smile.

He was standing right in front of her. It had always been him behind that mask. But she didn't know him anymore.

She wanted the truth. And the truth had never been so bitter.

"I'm sorry, Karen. I'm so sorry... I wanted to keep you from all this mess. I tried to protect you and didn't realize you're the one whom I was hurting the most."

She remained standing in front of him and seemed to have completely ignored what he'd just said, however, he noticed she was crying silently.

"How...? How is this possible?"

He sighed again and tried to speak as calmly as he could. She was clearly upset. It was obvious she would be. But she was here, demanding answers. Willing to listen.

"When I lost my vision, the chemicals that fell on my eyes somehow, I don't know how, enhanced the rest of my senses. I can hear, smell, feel and taste things in a way that would be impossible for any other human being. I know it sounds crazy. And you have all the right to not believe me, but that's the truth."

Karen didn't say anything. She was still processing the fact that he was a vigilante and now it turned out he also had some type of superpowers?

She had run out of words and was running out of air too.

Matt was desperate to hear her. Her silence was worse than hearing her yell at him. Up until that moment he had not realized that his greatest fear was losing her, and he had never felt so close to that.

"Heightened senses?" she managed to ask.

"Yeah. I know how that sounds."

"This is too much."

She didn't understand anything. She didn't care about his senses. Her mind was too busy thinking about all those times in which he lied to her, and in which she lied to him. What kind of relationship was this? 

She turned around and walked to the window, brushed her hair with her fingers and took a deep breath.

Matt put the mask back in the bag and just waited. He had no right to ask anything from her. He didn't deserve anything from her either. All he could do was give her space and pray she'd forgive him. Time would tell.

She turned back to face him again.

"I need some air" she said suddenly.

"Um, sure. We can go for a walk if you'd like..."

"No, Matt" she interrupted him. "I need to go out alone. I need to think. Or _not _think..."__

____

He was frozen again. And hurt. Would she abandon him too? Just like everyone else had? He really wished he could read her mind, not just her body.

"Why don't you, uh... wait for me at your apartment? We can talk there, but right now, I just need to..."

He felt relieved. She was willing to talk to him. That was a start. She wasn't leaving. He hoped she didn't change her mind.

"Sure, I know. I'll be there."

The seriousness on his face when he had entered the office had become desolation. She could see it even under his dark glasses. His other mask.

She wiped her face, grabbed her coat and slowly walked to the door.

Before opening it, she stopped and breathed in. 

“Was _anything _ever real?” she asked with a tear streaming down her face, her mind transported back to that magical night they had spent together.__

____

She had to ask. She had to ask because she had fallen in love with Matt Murdock and her heart had never been so broken.

He knew what she was referring to and felt miserable. Hurting her and not showing her how precious she was for him was certainly his biggest regret. And the worst part was that there was nothing he could do or say that would make her believe him now.

“Every second” he answered softly. 

He heard her heart skip a beat and wanted to tell her that the moments with her were the best of his life. But he'd have time. He had to give her time.

She made an effort to keep breathing normally and opened the door.

"I'll meet you at your place."

_Nobody said it was easy_  
_It's such a shame for us to part_  
_Nobody said it was easy_  
_No one ever said it would be this hard_  
_Oh take me back to the start_

****

** Part 2 **

There was a lot of movement outside. Sirens and horns. Lights everywhere. But other than the unusually cold breeze, the world kept going as if nothing had happened. 

Karen watched the people pass by her and started thinking if anyone had ever wondered, just like she had a thousand times, who was that brave man who risked his life during the night to keep Hell’s Kitchen safe. If he had a family and friends, if he had a life, a heart. If he was ever hurt. 

She panicked at the image of him being beaten up by criminals. How many wounds had he hidden from her? He was after Fisk. He had probably sent men to kill him! And what if anyone found out who he was?

She felt a knot in her throat as she kept going, not really knowing where. But why didn't he tell her before? Did he really want to protect her or he just didn't trust her? 

Her feet took her to the Indian restaurant they had been to together. Ironic. 

“Oh what the hell” she said to herself and went in. 

Memories began to strike. She quickly separated what she considered had obviously been a lie from what was probably true, and what she hoped had been true because otherwise this would all be even more painful and embarrassing. 

The cane. Lie. Him always being so protective of her. True. That old man and the woman in his apartment. She'd rather not think about it. But whoever they were he would have lied about them, that's for sure. The million times he missed work. Bullshit. His kisses... That had to be true. But what difference would it make now anyway? 

The Castle case. No wonder he got so upset when she tried to compare Frank to Daredevil. She always thought it was because of his lawyer rightfulness and his Catholicism. 

She ordered a second drink when she remembered she had taken her shirt off in front of him. God, they almost slept together. She felt like such an idiot. Although she appreciated the fact that he had been decent enough to turn down her invitation that night. 

Why had he decided to tell her now? If he had been honest with her before things would have been so different. 

Who was she kidding? She hadn't been honest with him either. Even when he had asked her, she hadn't had the courage to tell him about Wesley and about Kevin. 

Another knot. 

That would be a talk for another day. She had some self-reconciliation to do first. Figure herself out. Maybe after that she would be brave enough to open up to Matt and Foggy, hopefully without getting kicked out of their lives. 

Yes, some day her time would come, but in that moment there was somewhere else she had to be at. So she paid for her drinks and walked out. 

Tonight was his turn to talk. 

_Tell me you love me_  
_Come back and haunt me_  
_Oh and I rush to the start_  
_Running in circles, chasing our tails_  
_Coming back as we are_

****

** Part 3  **

Matt removed his coat and placed it on the hook, breathing in the small particles of Karen's perfume that had stuck on the fabric.

Would this be the only thing he had left of her? They could've had it all, he wished he had known back then, but he did it all wrong. Opening up to her was the least he could do at this point. His last chance to do the right thing. That and…

They say life's a cruel teacher. It gives you the test first, the lesson afterward. He had learned that the hard way. If he had been the only one affected, he would find a way to manage, but the people he loved the most were the ones who suffered the worst consequences of his stupid choices and he didn't know how to live with that. 

It was decided. His days as Daredevil had come to an end.

He threw the mask back in the chest and closed the door. He was leaving Daredevil behind and building back his life as Matt Murdock. He would no longer let anyone else get hurt, or die, because of his actions.

He sat on the sofa and just waited, wondering what could be crossing her mind right now. She hated him for sure, even before this. What would happen next, he had no idea. She had her own demons to fight. Deep down he knew there was a part of her that she also kept hidden from him. What could it be?

He was just sure of one thing. She, out of everyone in this world, could understand him. Both sides of him. He had to believe that. Even if he wasn't worthy of it.

He sat on the sofa with his hands on his head. Why did he feel like she was taking so long? She said she would come. She would've told him if she didn't want to talk to him anymore. 

“Don't be silly, Matthew. She'll come. Just be patient” he thought. 

The billboard lights were illuminating the whole place, just like the first time she had been there. He would have never imagined she would become such an important part of him. If only he had known. 

Matt had closed his eyes and then suddenly tilted his head. He heard his heart start beating faster, and hers on the third floor. Her scent got more clear as she got closer. 

He stood up and slowly walked to the door. He paid attention to her steps, to every movement of her skirt, and the dance of her hair. Curry? He couldn't believe she had gone there. 

He was already at the door, hanging his head and with his hand on the lock. He would open up after she knocked. There was no need to scare her. 

Sixth floor. Her steps were louder, and her smell better. She was less tense. He could tell by her breathing. It seemed like he was the only one who was nervous. 

Three knocks. It was time. 

“How was the walk?”

“I just needed some space. This is a lot.”

“No, of course. I get it. Please come in.”

“Thanks.”

_Tell me your secrets_  
_And ask me your questions_  
_Oh let's go back to the start_

****

** Part 4  **

And he did. He told her everything he thought she needed to know, the words that answered the questions she had, and the questions that kept coming to her whenever one of the secrets was revealed.

They both knew it was not possible to go back in time, he could never erase his past decisions. They were there to stay, just like their terrible consequences. But maybe they could get a new start, maybe it was not too late for that. Because now she knew. There were no more secrets. She knew and she believed him. 

His heartbeat had helped him with that. He wished nothing more than to feel his hand in hers, to be haunted and taken to another start.

But she let go of his hand, which broke his heart a little and filled his head again with fear and doubt. 

_I was just guessing at numbers and figures_  
_Pulling your puzzles apart_  
_Questions of science, science and progress_  
_Do not speak as loud as my heart_

****

** Part 5 **

"I’m not so sure Daredevil is the problem."

"Ouch."

"I don't think Matt Murdock is either." 

He didn't understand. What was she saying? What was she not saying? 

"We both have wounds to heal" she went on. "We need to do that first. We…” 

Why was she even using we? 

“Too much has happened" she continued. 

"I know" he said. 

She moved to the sofa to have a seat and he followed her. She had another sip and brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear. 

When she looked back at Matt, he was smiling. 

"What is it?" she asked, confused. She was still not used to him being able to "see" things. 

"Sorry, I just love it when you do that. And your hair, it always smells great." 

He also noticed she blushed right after him saying that, but he kept that to himself. 

"Thanks” she told him shyly. 

“Karen, what's wrong?” 

She didn't say anything, but her head movement, her hands shaking and her heart racing told him she didn't want to talk about it. He would not push. He had broken her trust. He had to earn it again, and this was not the moment. One step at a time. 

“I'm sorry, I shouldn't…”

She leaned back to rest her neck on the back of the sofa and stare at the wooden ceiling. 

“You know, when I came to New York I had so many expectations, so many dreams of what my life would be like here.”

“Reality turned out to be disappointing?”

“I'd say it turned out to be very different. For better or worse, it's just reality. We have to face it and live with it.”

“Or try to change it.”

“If that was at all possible…”

“Yeah, there's a lot I wish I could change too.”

And as if she knew he was mainly referring to her, she blushed again. 

By this time he had mirrored her and was also facing the ceiling on top of them. 

“Me too…” she answered sadly. “Did you know Ellison offered me a job at The Bulletin?”

“He did? That's great!”

“Yes. Ben's position. I couldn't believe it.”

“What did you say?”

“I took it. This will be a new start. Although I must admit that I will miss Nelson & Murdock.”

“And Page. It wouldn't be the same without you anyway.”

A vague smile drew on her face before she sat up and placed her empty glass on the coffee table. 

“I should go. It's getting late.”

He nodded, even though he internally wished she stayed at least a little longer. 

Karen put her coat back on and Matt walked her to the door. When he opened it, she turned to him, but he was the one who spoke. 

“This may sound absurd, but I want you to know that I'm here for you. You can trust me. And I promise I won't lie to you. I'm leaving this life behind.”

Despite everything, she knew she could trust him. But wouldn't he judge her? What if he discovered who she really was and then pushed her away? 

She didn't find any words to say, so she just hugged him. With her arms around his neck and her face on his shoulders, she was clung to him and felt safe again, even if it was only for a few seconds. He held her back tightly and caressed her silky hair. 

“Why does everything have to be so complicated?” he thought. “If only she had told him too. If only she had revealed her secrets. Maybe then it would have been possible. Maybe then…”

She took a step back, putting space between them again. 

“Good night, Matt.”

“Good night, Karen.”

Matt heard as she went away, leaving him with an insufficient sense of peace. Just like him, she was at war with herself. And after this, they both had a deeper hole inside their hearts, a hole they had to figure out how to fill in separately before they could find a way of moving forward... together.

_Nobody said it was easy_  
_Oh it's such a shame for us to part_  
_Nobody said it was easy_  
_No one ever said it would be so hard_  
_I'm going back to the start_

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading :)


End file.
